lewis



L. S. LBWIS. GAR OOUPLING.

(Eo Model.)

N0. 571,673. -Patnted Nov. 17, 1896.

UNITED STATES *l FFECEE.

PATENT LYMAN S. LE\VIS, OF GUTTENBERG, IOYVA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF T0 WILLIAM L. KORDS, OF SAME PLAGE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 571,673, dateol November 17, 1896.

Application fi1ed July 22, 1896. Serinl N0. 600,143. N0 model.

T0 mZZ wh0m 2 6 muy c0ncarn:

Be it known. filmt I, LYMAN S. LEWIS, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Guttenberg, in the county 0f Clayton and State 0f Iowa. have invented a new a11d useful Car- Ooupling, 0f whieh the following is a specificanion.

The invention relates Co improvements in car-eouplings.

The object of the present invention is 120 improve 1311e construction 0f car-couplings and 150 providea simple, inexpensive, and effieient one, capable of coupling' automatically and adaptedfzo be rea.dily uncoupled from the tops and sides 0f cars without going between them.

A further objeot 0f ehe invent-ion is 130 provide an automatic car-coupling which will be adaped so couple automatically with the various kinds of car-couplings that are capable 0f coupling wit-h a link and t0 provide the necessamy p1ay 130 permit two draw-heads t0 eome together zmd relieve acoupling-link 01: strain.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illusbrated in the aeoompanying drawings, and pointed out in the elaims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspeetive view of a car-coupling constructed in accord-.

a-nce with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central longituinal secoional view, the cateh being set for automaic coupling in full 1ines and swung baczkward f01 coupling in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a, side elevaoion of the draw-head, illustrating the construction 0f the lever fo1 manipulat-ing; t11e ca.-teh 00 set ib f01 automatic coupling. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of Lhe L-shaped eateh. Fig. 5 is a detail view 0f a.portion 0f the cateh-setting lever, showing the opening thereof. Fig. 0 is a detail 0f the end 0f the shaft 01 pin whieh is armnged in the opening' 01 the catch-set-ting lever.

Like numerals 0f reference designate corresponding arts in all he figures 0f the dmwings.

l designates a drzmv-head having a longitudinal link-opening zmd having mounted in ib a substantially Lshaped catch 2, adapted t-0 engge a1ink 3, and capable 0f conpling automatically With the, same xvhen the 1i11k enters the dra-\\--head. The substantially L- shaped catch is pivoted ab it-s angle a1; ehe bot0m 0f the draw-head by a transverse pin 4, and iu consists 0f arms 5 and (i. T110 arm 5, whieh is zmranged in advanee 0f the arm C, is adapted t0 eoup1e Winh the 1ink, and when ehe c atch is set f0r automatic coupling it is arranged in a groove 7 0f ehe bottom of the dfmv-head and has its upper face be1ow 1;]1e upper face 0f the same in 0rde1 t0 affo1d 110 obstruction 130 the link when the latter enters the draw-head. \Vhen the arm 5 is arranged horizontally in the groove at the bottom of the draw-head, the other zum, G, is disposed vertically in posiui0n t0 be engaged by 11110 1ink, whereby the link in moving inward into the 'dmw-head Will swing the cateh back- W2nd, carrying the arm 5 upward into engagement with 1 he link.

The arm 5, which couples with the link, is loeked in a vertieal position in engagement With the same by zu spring-actuated locking device S, consisting of a horizontally-disposed bar 01 body pivoted at its front 01 outer enc1 in a longituflinal slot of the draw-head and having its rear 01 immer end arranged to en gage tl1e arm 5 of. he catch. As the arm 5 swings upward itengages the lower faee 0f the loeking device 8 and lifts Ehe szune against the action 0f ehe spring 9, and as s0on as the arm passes in 1ear 0f the locking deviee 8 the 1atter drops in freut of the arm and 1etains the. catch in engagement With the link. The spring 9, which may be mounted in any suitable manner, is located a-b0ve the bar 01 body 8 of the locking device, zu1d is preferably secu1ed at its front 01 0uter end t0 the drawhead by a serew 0r othe1 suitable fastening device. The locking device 8 has its engaging end bifu1cated and p10x"ided ith an antifriction-roller S t0 facilitate its engagement With the arm 5 0f the L-shaped catch 2 and to enable it to drop readilyinto such engagement. This antifrietion-roller also greatly facilit-ates the operation of uncoupling, und enables the locking device uo De readily swun g upward out 0f engagemeut wibh thc zum 5 even when there is a stmin 011 the cateh, thereby enabling a ear 10 be readily cu1; 01f fr0m a train when t-he la1zter is in moti0n.

VVhen l1e caeh is in engagement Witl1 nhe link, its arm 6 extends rearward 0r inward from the transverse pin 4 and is reeeived in the rear er inner portion 0f ehe groove 7 of the bottom 0f tl1e draw-head, and has its upper face bel0w the upper face 01' 11l1e latter. The rear 0r inner portion of the longitudinal opening 0f the draw-head is red ueed and f0rn1s a socket 10 f01 an end of the link, and the s0eket may be made of any desired length 1:0 provide the necessary play 150 permit two draw-heads 10 eo1ne togenher to relieve the link 0f strain.

The cateh is provided at its angle With straight faces 01 heels 12, which are engaged by a spring 13, whereby 1he ea1aeh is held against aceidental movement and is retained in position f0r antomatie eonpling. The spring 13 is seeured t0 the bottom of the drawhead in a slot er opening thereof. Tl1e 100king deviee 8 is 1ifted 10 release 11he eatel1 and effect: 13l1e operation 0f nncoupling by a rockshaft 14, jonrnaled 011 tl1e t0p 01: 13l1e drawhead'and provided wi'nh an arm 15, arranged in a recess 01' seao thereof and eonneeted With the l0ckin g deviee by a ehain. The roek-shaft is provi-ded at one side 0f tl1e draw-head With an Lshaped arm whieh extends inward 0r rearward a Sl1OI"G distance and then extends t0 one side 0f a ear 16, forming a handle t0 enable the loeking deviee 110 be readily lifted.

The operation 0f nneonpling is performed from the t0p 0f t-he car by an operatingrod 17, arranged in suitable guides, provided a1: its upper end Wih a handle and having ab its 10wer end a 100p 18, receiving the laterallydisposed portion 0f 13l1e L-shaped arm of the rock-shaft. The longitudin ally-disposed portion 0 f the L-sl1aped arm 0f the rock-shaft is arranged adjacen1s 10 1she side 0f ehe drawhead, and tl1e latter is provided With a support 19 so reeeive the same.

The link 3 is provided With a solid central portion, and 111 has a longitudinal opening ab eaeh end adapted t0 be engaged by 1she L- shaped eatch.

In order t0 enable the L-shaped catch 130 be set for antomatie eoupling in event of it being swung rearward by persons tampering With tl1e car-coupling, the pin 41 is provided with a fla1; head 20, and a eatch-setting lever 21 is arranged ab one side of 11l1e draw-head and is adapted to engage the head 0f the pin 4. The lever, whieh is retained in a keeper 22 by a spring 23, is provided With an opening 24 t0 reeeive 1;l1e head 20 0f tl1e pin 4, and 1'13 has shoulders 25 a1; opposite sides 0f the opening. The opening, Whieh is composed 0f 1JWO substanuially quadrant-shaped portions, permits the pin 110 have a free quarter-turn neoessary for the operation 0f the eateh, and when the latter is swnng rearward the head 20 is arranged vertically, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 0f the aeeompanying d rawings. Vhen the head is in this positlon, the eateh can be set f0r automatic coupling by swinging nhe lever 21 downward, and 13l1e lever maythen be returned to a verical p0 Sioion withont moving the pin 4.

The keeper 22, whiel1 is disposed horizontally, is substantially L shaped, and ehe spring 23 l1as its outer portion eurved 10 embraee 1Jhe lever, and its ouer terminal is ben1; laterally 110 enable he spring 00 be readily engaged by the lever.

112 will be seen 'ohat the car-coupling is exeeedingly simple and inexpensive in cons1aruetion, tl1at i1: is positive and reliable in operation, and that 111 is capable of aufiomatic eoupling and of being readily uncoupled from the 1:0ps and sicles 015 ears Withoub going between them. It will also be apparent that 113 is eapable 0f coupling With 1al1e ordinary pinand-link coupling and With all kinds of Carconplings which makes provision for compling With tl1e ordinary pin-and-link ear-conpling.

Changes in ehe form, proportion, and 1nin0r details of eonstruction may be resorted t0 wiohout departing from the prineiple or sacrifieing any of the advantages 0f this invention.

W'ha1: I elaim is- 1. In a ear-coupling, the combination 0f a drawhead a substantially L- shaped catcl1 pivoted ab its angle 130 the draw-head au the bottom thereof and having one arm arranged to eonple with tl1e link, and its other arm adapted 130 be engaged by 11l1e link, whereby the said arm is swung upward automabieally, a spring-actuated loeking deviee loeated ab 11he top 0f ehe draw-head, pivoted ab its front or ouer end to the Same and adapted t0 engage the eatch automaoically, a roek-shaft mounted 0n the draw-head and having an arm eonneeted wi1zh the loeking deviee, said rock-shaft being provided a1; the side 0f the draw-head Wih an L-shaped arm forming a handle, and an operating-rod designed 130 extend 130 the top 0f the Gar and provided a1; its lower end with a 100p reeeiving tl1e outer poroi0n of the L-sl1aped portion 0f the rock-shaft, substantially as deseribecl.

2. In a car-eoupling, the eombination of a draw-head, a transverse pin passing through the draw-head a1: the b011130m thereof and provided a1: one end Wl''ll aflathead, an L-sl1aped eatch pivoted at its angle t0 tl1e drawhead a1; l1e bottom thereof by 1111e said pin, and 1g.xed 1:0 the latter, a lever arranged 011 the exterior of tl1e draw-head and provided With an opening reeeiving the head of the pin and having opposite shoulders adapted t0 engage 1:11e same, and means for holding l1e lever in position on the draw-head, substantially as deseribed.

3. In a ear-eoupling, 1ahe eombinaion 01: a draw-head, a transverse p1n passing through the draw-head, a cateh monn'ted 011 the transverse pin, and an operating-lever having an IIO opening reeeiving Ehe pi11, said opening being my 0wn I have hereto afiixed my signatme composed of tw0 substantially quadrantin ehe presence of tw0 witnesses. shaped portions adapte 130 permit ehe pin to have a free quarter-turn independgnt of the LYMAN S. LESVIS. 5 1ever, substantia-Hy as zu1d f01 he purpose Witnesses:

deseribed. JOHN H. SIGGERS,

In testimony that- I c1aim the foregoing as WILLIAM O. LEWIS. 

